ponder

B2 Topic:Time

US /ˈpɑn.dəɹ/ UK /ˈpɒn.də/ See IPA manual

Freq #19977

Meanings

1

verb
To think about something carefully for a long time.

She pondered the question before giving her answer.
2

noun
A period of careful, deep thought.

After a long ponder, he decided not to take the job.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to think about something... chew overmull over muse

More afterthinkagitate bethink chew cogitate consider contemplate deliberate introspect meditate mull

Word family

Forms ponderedponders

Derived forms beponderponderableponderanceponderizereponderunpondered

Related forms considerationpondermentpondersomepreponderpreponderance preponderant preponderate

Etymology

From Middle English ponderen, from Old French ponderer (“to weigh, balance, ponder”) from Latin ponderāre (“to weigh, ponder”), from pondus (“weight”), from pendere (“to weigh”); see pendent and pound.

*(s)pend- Proto-Indo-European ponderen Middle English ponderer Old French ponderāre Latin

View etymology graph ->

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# ponder

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɑn.dəɹ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɒn.də/
**Frequency rank:** 19977

## Meanings
1. To think about something carefully for a long time.
2. A period of careful, deep thought.

## Examples
- She pondered the question before giving her answer.
- After a long ponder, he decided not to take the job.

## Synonyms
- afterthink
- agitate
- bethink
- chew
- cogitate
- consider
- contemplate
- deliberate
- introspect
- meditate
- mull
- muse

## Derived Forms
- beponder
- ponderable
- ponderance
- ponderize
- reponder
- unpondered

## Related Forms
- consideration
- ponderment
- pondersome
- preponder
- preponderance
- preponderant
- preponderate

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *(s)pend-
- Root: ponderen
- Root: ponderer
- Root: ponderāre

## Etymology
From Middle English ponderen, from Old French ponderer (“to weigh, balance, ponder”) from Latin ponderāre (“to weigh, ponder”), from pondus (“weight”), from pendere (“to weigh”); see pendent and pound.

## AI Etymology
Ponder comes from Middle English ponderen, from Old French ponderer (“to weigh, balance, ponder”) from Latin ponderāre (“to weigh, ponder”), from pondus (“weight”), from pendere (“to weigh”); see pendent and pound. The historical chain includes *(s)pend- (Proto-Indo-European), ponderen (Middle English), ponderer (Old French), ponderāre (Latin). In present-day English it covers to think about something carefully for a long time and a period of careful, deep thought. The wider family includes derived forms such as beponder, ponderable, ponderance, ponderize, reponder and related forms such as consideration, ponderment, pondersome, preponder.

## Topics
- Time
- Describing Qualities

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